After being available exclusively on mobile for four years, Blue Archive recently launched on Steam. The PC debut initially seemed successful, attracting over 20,000 concurrent players and quickly accumulating 10,000 Steam reviews. However, controversy arose following a now-deleted post on the Nexon forums, which indicated the developer had run an in-game event designed to encourage players to post reviews on Valve`s platform – a practice explicitly forbidden by the official Steamworks documentation.
Details from the in-game event description revealed a promise of five Gift Choice Boxes and five Beautiful Bouquets for all players once the game`s Steam review count hit 10,000. The event was originally scheduled to run from July 4th to July 11th. Interestingly, there is no longer any mention of this event visible within Blue Archive. Despite the event`s disappearance, the game successfully surpassed the 10,000 review milestone on Steam.
A user on the game`s Steam forums highlighted the relevant section of the Steamworks documentation, which clearly states that it is prohibited “to abuse or artificially manipulate the review system.” It further forbids anyone from “soliciting reviews in exchange for any games, DLC, money, or other rewards,” with the only exceptions being sending copies to press or creators for legitimate previews or reviews. Additionally, developers are warned against asking customers for reviews from within the game itself. GameSpot has reached out to Nexon for comment regarding these allegations.
Blue Archive is a tactical RPG that includes gacha elements. This system relies on random draws, using the game`s premium currency, Pyroxene, to determine which characters (referred to as students) a player obtains. Limited-time recruitment events can boost the probability of drawing specific students, providing a strong incentive for players to spend more Pyroxene in hopes of acquiring their desired anime girls.
Blue Archive is not the only popular “anime girl” focused game currently making waves on Steam. Following its recent release, Umamusume: Pretty Derby has also seen impressive player numbers, peaking at over 50,000 concurrent users.